THE debate in NSW over the safety of young drivers has intensified after three P-plate drivers were caught under the influence of alcohol in Maitland, northwest of Newcastle, early yesterday.

The incidents came ahead of the first meeting of a NSW government panel charged with trying to stop the carnage among young drivers and follow the death of three teenagers in western Sydney early on Friday morning.

Killed after their car collided head-on with a garbage truck were the P-plate driver, Rajeev Gautam, 17, and two of his friends, Sharmini Anandappa, 18, and Sylvia Kishor, 18. Two other young people in the car were taken to hospital in a serious condition.

Ten young people have died in similar circumstances in just over a month, including four teenagers at Byron Bay on the state’s north coast.

In Maitland yesterday, the three P-plate drivers were caught drink-driving within a 30-minute period. Two teenage males and a 20- year-old woman tested positive for alcohol and are to appear in court next month.

A police spokesman said yesterday police would support proposals to cut the toll, including restrictions on the number of passengers P-plate drivers can carry and limits on types of cars they can drive.